I was looking for a profile on a fish this morning and found this site... http://nis.gsmfc.org/ which is the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission website for Non-Native Aquatic Species in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Regions which is set up to track non-native fish... many of which were released into the wild by errant fish keepers but many were also accidentally released from fish farms due to flood waters caused by hurricanes, etc.
It seems that Convict Cichlid's are becoming a problem in some areas of Florida and because of their aggressiveness during breeding, they are killing off the local fish.
I found a link to this page which has national and international sites for other areas that are tracking these non-native species in your local waterways.
http://www.nisbase.org/nisbase/index.jsp
Here is the list of non-native fish affecting my home State of Louisiana...
http://www.nisbase.org/nisbase/getResults.jsp?Group=&State=LA&Genus=&Species=&ComName=&Size=50&GSMFC-NIS=on and I see Goldfish, Pleco's and Cichlid's on the list of 32 non-native species in Louisiana waterways.
UPDATED AND BETTER INFO OCTOBER 26, 2008:
Just an update.
After looking around some more on a more extensive listing of Non-Indigenous / Non-Native fish, I also found this "Search" page where you can look at your State, drainage area region, etc. http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/ (You can click on your state which then brings up a page with three fields - Group (choose fish), State (choose your State), Sort (Common, Scientific, Taxonomic). Contact the webmaster for the site if you know of updates that are needed. Just for the record, Louisiana has 40 NI/NN fish listed and Florida has 182 (many more Marine fish though). Damn... LA near the bottom of another list... but at least the bottom is good for a change! LOL
I guess I have to thank Dora for asking four times or I might never have done more digging on links from my original posted link. LOL
Lenny Vasbinder
Fish Blog - http://GoldLenny.blogspot.com (Links to articles referenced above listed on the right side under Archives - Year, Month and under Labels)
-----Original Message-----
From: Lenny V. aka GoldLenny [mailto:goldlenny@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2008 2:30 PM
To: 'AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [AquaticLife] Non-Native Fish (was: Missing fish)
Actually, I didn't have to Google to find a much more extensive list of non-native fish.
On the "About" page for the partial list I first posted, there were other links in the paragraph "Programs And Partners" and one of them, "Non-Indigenous Aquatic Species" http://nas.er.usgs.gov/, led to this page on just "Fishes" http://nas.er.usgs.gov/taxgroup/fish/default.asp and then the "Species List of Non-indigenous Fish" link http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/SpeciesList.asp?Group=Fishes led to a much longer list and just looking at the "Jump to" list of page numbers on the bottom of that page, it's 15 pages of fish with 50 fish on each page.
WOW... really nice pictures of the fish on each page too. Might be another good source of profile info on fish since I'm sure nearly every common tropical fish is on this list. Here's the page on the "Green Swordtail" (aka Red Swordtail or just Swordtail - Xiphophorus hellerii) http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=869
And Dora... here's the page on the Zebra Danio from this bigger list. If you couldn't find it on that short list, you'll never find it on this list. LOL http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=505
Looking through some of the other links on the top of these pages led to this link on just Florida and more particularly South Florida. http://sofia.usgs.gov/sfrsf/rooms/species/invasive/focus/ It shows it was last updated in June 2007 but the Snakefish was not listed on the page as well as a few other NI species that I've read are prolific in Florida, so maybe someone needs to contact the webmaster listed at the bottom of that page and give them a more current list of NI fish in Florida.
Unfortunately, it's a government website funded by our tax-dollars-at-waste so I doubt it will ever be accurate. One of my political statements that I invented a long time ago, is "Name one thing that government does effectively and efficiently? The resounding answer is always NOTHING!... which is why I'm always amazed at why people want government running everything in their lives" (Disclaimer: This is a non-partisan statement). LOL Considering this list exists, it makes one wonder why there needed to be another government funded website for just the Gulf States that was woefully inadequate and bloated. All they had to do was make a list and link to the profiles on this more extensive list.. but I guess that would be too simple for a government program.
\\Steve//, this list does have four Gambusia species listed on page 7. I know you mentioned that species as being one of the fish not on the Gulf States page. This better list does include both FW and Marine species but the majority of the fish seem to be FW fish.
Lenny Vasbinder
Fish Blog - http://GoldLenny.blogspot.com (Links to articles referenced above listed on the right side under Archives - Year, Month and under Labels)
-----Original Message-----
From: Lenny V. aka GoldLenny [mailto:goldlenny@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2008 1:25 PM
To: 'AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [AquaticLife] Missing fish
Dora... the first sentence in my post was "Do a Google search". Why should I have to point you to sites when you can find them on your own? This is your fourth time asking about the Zebra Danio on that page and I clearly pointed it out in my first reply. Read it again!
Lenny Vasbinder
Fish Blog - http://GoldLenny.blogspot.com (Links to articles referenced above listed on the right side under Archives - Year, Month and under Labels)
-----Original Message-----
From: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Dora Smith
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2008 2:06 PM
To: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [AquaticLife] Missing fish
Yes, Steve, I saw where he said that, and what good was posting a site that doesn't have the ifno. I'm working at a part time job two hours from home, trying to find a job, and working at a temporary full time job later this week, and still recovering from a hard drive failure, and I do not have time to research this.
Assuming Lenny knows what he's talking about (think it was Lenny), it is not too much for him to point us to a couple of sites with the actual information.
If not I'm going to not even worry abaout it. Got better things to worry about at the moment.
Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, TX
tiggernut24@yahoo.com <mailto:tiggernut24%40yahoo.com>
---- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Szabo"
To:
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2008 11:40 AM
Subject: RE: [AquaticLife] Missing fish
As has already been discussed, the list that was posted is woefully inadequate in representing invasive species that are present in the US.
\\Steve//
-----Original Message-----
From: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com <mailto:AquaticLife%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com <mailto:AquaticLife%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of Dora Smith
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2008 2:38 PM
To: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com <mailto:AquaticLife%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [AquaticLife] Missing fish
Danios aren't listed either.
Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, TX
tiggernut24@yahoo.com <mailto:tiggernut24%40yahoo.com>
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Szabo"
To:
Sent: Saturday, October 25, 2008 12:22 PM
Subject: RE: [AquaticLife] Missing fish
That looks like an incomplete listing of invasive species. Not a single Gambusia species. is listed, which was introduced in many areas as mosquito control, nor is Channa spp. which is found in the Potomac River area, particularly the southern reaches. While there are mollies that are native to Florida, there are others in the wild that are not. I have also seen Oscars in the wild in Florida in several areas.
\\Steve//
-----Original Message-----
From: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com <mailto:AquaticLife%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com <mailto:AquaticLife%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of Lenny V. aka GoldLenny
Sent: Saturday, October 25, 2008 1:24 PM
To: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com <mailto:AquaticLife%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: RE: [AquaticLife] Missing fish
Do a search for non-native and/or non-indigenous invasive species for your area to see if they are.... or which other fish may be found in your area.
You'll see (some of) them listed on this page... http://nis.gsmfc.org/nis_alphabetic_list.php <http://nis.gsmfc.org/nis_alphabetic_list.php>
Here's the starting page for that "official" site. http://nis.gsmfc.org/ <http://nis.gsmfc.org/>
This page explains what an "Invasive Species" http://nis.gsmfc.org/What_is.shtm <http://nis.gsmfc.org/What_is.shtm> is and how some are much worse than others but we should still strive to NOT have any non-native species in our waterways. Like the old Parkay commercial, "It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature!"
Since Zebra Danio's are cool/cold water fish, they will easily live in the southern-most States in the USA. They've definitely been found in Florida, according to the information on the profile in the above link, likely released from breeding ponds from one of the hurricane related floods, but I'm not sure how often those profile pages are updated. I'm sure ZD's have been found in other local waters in southern States.
Lenny Vasbinder
Fish Blog - http://GoldLenny.blogspot.com <http://GoldLenny.blogspot.com> (Links to articles referenced above listed on the right side under Archives
- Year, Month and under Labels)
-----Original Message-----
From: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com <mailto:AquaticLife%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com <mailto:AquaticLife%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of Dora Smith
Sent: Saturday, October 25, 2008 8:46 AM
To: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com <mailto:AquaticLife%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [AquaticLife] Missing fish
Where have zebra danios become a nuisance invasive species? It's the first I've heard of this. If anythign could successfully stand up to mosquito fish you'd think it would be danios, but they aren't actually aggressvie fish, and they're so small. Also, how well do they do in places where there's frost in winter and places wehre teh creeks periodically dry up?
That doesn't bother mosquito fish. Don't know if they burrow or what.
Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, TX
tiggernut24@yahoo.com <mailto:tiggernut24%40yahoo.com>
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lenny V. aka GoldLenny"
To:
>
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 3:43 PM
Subject: RE: [AquaticLife] Missing fish
They are actually genetically enhanced zebra danios and my major opposition to them is that zebra danios are one of the nuisance non-native invasive species, likely due to some releases by hobbyists and also due to floods affecting fish farms. If the glofish start getting released into the wild, it might make fishing a little harder for anglers since the glofish would compete with our day-glo painted lures. ;-)
Lenny Vasbinder
GoldLenny
********************************
And now some comments in the thread:
I agree 100%. I've said the same thing over and over to people, never let your pets go out in the wild. Either they'll die a cruel death or they'll be a problem on the habitat. Never ever ever dump your aquarium into a lake or stream. I think there are several states with goldfish problems in many of their local lakes. Some states have had to take measure such as stocking Tiger Muskies (Muskie x Northern Pike, sterile hybrid) to eat the fish out of these lakes. Drastic measures for a .97 feeder fish someone got tired of. I think the only thing more destructive to an aquatic habitat than goldfish are bullfrogs in areas where they are not native.
TurtleLover
I love turtles!!!!
*******************************
LOL... I also see the red-eared slider turtle listed for Louisiana. If you've ever been down to N'Awlins and the burbs, you may have noticed that we have a system of canals and pumping stations that are used for drainage to pump the excess rain waters over the levees into Lake Pontchartrain or the Mississippi River. There are so many red-ear's in those canals that I always figured they were indigenous to the area. I also see the soft shell turtles... I think that's what they are called.. the tannish colored turtles with the pointy snout? Between red-ears and the soft shells, every rock and log in our canals are covered in them when they are sunning. I did a quick Google and I see they are actually indigenous to North America so I guess they weren't all released from aquariums.
GoldLenny
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COMMENTS *******************************
True some of those species listed are indigenous to N. America, but not necessarily to that area of the continent. I know white sucker fish are native to the eastern side of the continent, but they are a non native pest in the western state. They are pushing out and killing native suckers and smaller fish. That's why it's so important that fish are not released in to waters they are not from. Just cuz they're native in Georgia doesn't mean they're meant to live in Colorado.
TurtleLover
I love turtles!!!!
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